I disagree with Slash. The oral surgeon did the most appropriate thing - he did a gold standard biopsy to determine what was going on and he got you a gold standard answer. The cells had become dysplasia. This can be the first step to malignancy. However, there are many different grades of dysplasia - low to high grade, with varying degrees of risk. To say that he is messing around your mouth to make money is a disservice to the guy, and to say this same comment given that he has done this by the book is just wrong.

Not all ENT's are the same there are 4 and 6 year ENT's. The vast majority of them are 4 year doctors who see the vast majority of strep throat and earaches in the US. The smaller group become head and neck surgeons. The first group don't know any more than an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, who is trained to do le Forte procedures in which they take your face and sinus chambers apart in 14 pieces and put you back together. I wouldn't dismiss their skills. Having said that, there are some that are just exodontists and extract teeth.

You are now at a point in which you need to have someone interpret the pathology report for you as to the extent of the dysplasia and it's grade. Of all dysplasia, only 25% becomes malignant left untreated. But in my book, something that has had some cellular transformation away from normal is something I want rid of, and to that end I am hyper conservative about watching things for any protracted period of time to see what it is going to do. I am not fond of the idea. And those of us that have danced with this thing before should not take a wait and watch attitude even with low grade dysplasia in my thinking. When low grade it is superficial, and can even be removed with a laser. I would get a consultation with someone that is affiliated with a cancer center so see that it is removed. Having said that, it is not uncommon for experienced oral surgeons to laser remove tissues like this or do so with a scalpel.

You have likely read lots on these boards. So you know this is not something to mess around with. But take solace in the fact that this isn't cancer. It is a step towards cancer, and a very early find which means a minimum of issues taking it off, and to the rest of your life. Keep us posted as to what you do and how it all turns out.

You don't say where you are in CA, but if you want to PM me I may be able to help you find the right person to deal with this, or give you the options open to you for its removal.

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.